WH objects to Big Papi selfie with Obama

The selfie from the South Lawn that Red Sox slugger David Ortiz shot with President Obama may have gone viral -- but the White House isn’t happy about it.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David "Big Papi" Ortiz takes a selfie with President Barack Obama. Ortiz tweeted the selfie to his followers Tuesday, and it was resent by tens of thousands, including Samsung, which retweeted it as an ad. The White House press secretary says Obama was not aware that the photo was part of a marketing stunt.
AP

The selfie from the South Lawn that Red Sox slugger David Ortiz shot with President Obama may have gone viral -- but the White House isn’t happy about it.

Ortiz shot the picture as the 2013 World Series Champions appeared at the White House with Obama on Tuesday -- but it quickly emerged that it wasn’t just artistic expression -- but a publicity stunt for the electronics giant, Samsung.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney wouldn’t say if the administration had asked Samsung Corporation to stop tweeting the selfie.

But, he said, “as a rule, the White House objects to attempts to use the president's likeness for commercial purposes, and we certainly object in this case.”

He wouldn‘t say if White House lawyers are involved, but did say “We have objected in the past. We object now, but I'm not going to get into the manner of objection.”

The Sports Business Journal reported earlier in the week that Ortiz -- the World Series MVP -- signed a deal with Samsung and that “when the Red Sox visit the White House this week to commemorate their World Series victory, ‘Big Papi will be tweeting and sending photos on Samsung’s behalf.”